Ten Years of Cin Cin in Brighton and Hove
More than a decade after beginning with a converted vintage Fiat, Cin Cin remains a distinctive part of Brighton and Hove’s independent restaurant scene - shaped by David Toscano and Jamie Halsall, handmade pasta and the Sussex seasons.
David grew up in Sydney in an Italian-Australian family, surrounded by the food traditions his grandparents brought from southern Italy in the 1950s. He made pasta with his mum and nonnas, salami each winter with his dad and nonno, and even family wine - although, he admits, “it wasn’t great”.
Those experiences stayed with him through a 20-year career in law in Sydney and London. Eventually, he wanted work that felt more purposeful. “Italian food, especially fresh pasta, was it for me,” he says.
With no hospitality experience, David bought a 1972 Fiat 850 and converted it into a street-food van. Cin Cin began trading at fairs and festivals in 2013, and the following year he met chef Jamie Halsall. David had the idea and family food memories; Jamie had the kitchen experience to help turn them into a restaurant.
They opened Cin Cin’s first permanent home on Vine Street in Brighton’s North Laine in 2016. A larger Hove restaurant followed in 2018, then Fitzrovia in 2021. Today, their focus is firmly on Hove.
At the Western Road restaurant, guests can sit at the counter and watch the kitchen at work, while a separate back room offers a quieter setting for larger tables and celebrations. Nearly a decade after opening, Cin Cin feels established without standing still.
Fresh pasta is made on site each day, while the menu changes monthly around the British season. “I don’t want to fly in courgettes from Sicily,” David says. “I want to use local produce. So our dishes have a British feel to them, even if they are presented as Italian.”
David and Jamie agreed on that approach from the beginning: Italian cooking guided by what is growing well closer to home. Relationships with Sussex suppliers including Chef Farms and Calcot Meats help the kitchen identify what is at its best, while the changing menu gives regular customers something new to return for.
One of Cin Cin’s signature and most requested plates is the rabbit crochette. It came about while the pair were developing a rabbit lasagne for their original opening, inspired by one David remembered eating in Sydney. When their oven couldn’t produce the lasagne at the quality they wanted, Jamie used the prepared rabbit béchamel to make crochette, served with basil emulsion.
The dish remained on the menu for around a year before making way for other seasonal plates. It now returns at Christmas.
Cin Cin has also been shaped by Brighton’s independent hospitality community. When the first restaurant opened, local chefs and restaurant owners came in to eat, share advice and offer help. “I was completely blown away,” David says. “Brighton independents always have each other’s backs.”
The business has expanded and adapted, but David and Jamie’s partnership has remained at its centre. The team continues to run pasta masterclasses in Hove, and are due to host a cycling and food weekend in Tuscany in October. David has also shared plans for Barbino, a Mediterranean small-plates bar in central Brighton.
Away from Cin Cin, they have a few local spots they recommend Fourth & Church in Hove for a quick plate and a glass of something good, and Noodle Soup on West Street for laksa. Out of town, David likes The Ginger Fox with his family, while Pharmacie Coffee and Beak Brewery are regular stops when cycling near Lewes.
